


Baby, I Met You On the Highway

by i_amthecosmos



Series: The How To Meet Series [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Artist Zayn, First Meeting, Hitchhiking, M/M, Sugar Baby Harry, recent breakup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-01-18
Packaged: 2018-03-08 03:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3193169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_amthecosmos/pseuds/i_amthecosmos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The desert is boring, but an unexpected friend makes things better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby, I Met You On the Highway

Zayn had come to America to take pictures and get inspiration for his art. But so far, he just found the country either over-stimulating or boring, with no in between. That might be because he was currently driving through the desert to California. There was nothing to see for miles, and he was just so, so sick of it. 

He’d been told that Brits really didn't have any idea how big America is until they got there. Turned out that was correct. Zayn squinted at the bright desert sun, and thought he saw something up ahead. A tree? No, a person. A person on the side of the road, with a thumb sticking out. 

Zayn stopped the car before he even thought about what he was doing. He didn’t know what he was getting into, and it was a long way before the next stop. But he couldn’t leave whoever it was out there. He unlocked the doors as the young man came running over and jumped in.

“Thanks mate.” Zayn nearly jumped-what were the odds? That was a distinct British accent, and Zayn just nodded at him. 

“No problem. Are you thirsty? There’s some water in the cooler in the back.” He watched the boy’s sunburned face crack into a surprised grin, and then he scrambled for one of the bottles. “Why the hell are you hitchhiking in the desert? You could die.”

“I was exploring, had a tourist visa, and I separated with my partner mid-trip. He left me here, flew right back to England. Now I’m trying to get to a city so I can get a flight back. I don’t even have my phone-he took everything.” The boy looked at him, tired green eyes on his. “Sorry. I didn’t plan on telling that to someone first thing.”

“No, it’s okay, I asked. What a bastard.” The boy just shrugged and then chugged the water. “I’m Zayn, I’m from Bradford. I’m here to take photos. What’s your name?” He started the car again and then started heading towards California.

“I’m Harry. I’m from Holmes Chapel, you’ve probably never heard of it. No reason for you to.” Harry put one of his long legs up on the dash. “I’m a musician, but mostly I’ve just been a boyfriend. Now I’m not that anymore.” 

“When did he take off?” Privately Zayn thought that this Harry was better off without him. He didn’t know all the details, but there couldn’t be any real excuse for dumping your ex in another country. And taking his phone. 

“A few days ago. Honestly it’s all starting to blur. Can I have another bottle of water? I feel like I dried up from the inside.” Zayn nodded and Harry turned around, coming back with two. “You want this one?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Zayn drove with his knees while he opened the bottle-there was no traffic to speak of, so he wasn’t worried. “That was a real cunt thing for him to do, leave you stranded like that.” Harry took another long sip of water and looked out the window.

“I suppose so. I’m not sure I deserved it. But he wasn’t interested in me anymore. He still should have gotten me home.” Zayn looked over at him, and he could see how graceful and handsome Harry was, even with the sunburn.

“Did you do something? Or was there a fight?” Harry looked over at him, frowning, and Zayn thought _Uh-oh_. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply it was your fault. You wouldn’t have deserved that no matter what.” 

“Thanks, I guess.” Harry played with the water bottle in his hand. “We were just fighting, the whole time. He accused me of only being with him because he paid for me, which wasn’t true. Well, it wasn’t at first, I really did love him when we started.”

“But later…?” Harry shrugged.

“Later I started feeling trapped. He liked having me around because I was young and good-looking, but everything else about me seemed to annoy him. I guess I was growing up and he didn’t like how that was turning out. I don’t know. But I’m not dating someone that rich ever again. They think they own you.” 

“Yeah, might be best not to.” Not that Zayn had ever been in that situation before. He looked ahead, and there seemed to be a gas station and a tiny ramshackle restaurant. “Hey, want some food?” 

“Yeah, thanks.” Zayn pulled over to the combined gas station/restaurant and parked in front of a sign advertising barbeque. When they got out, Zayn pulled his phone out and gave it to Harry. “Here, call your mum, let her know you’re all right. I can’t believe he took your phone.”

“He said he’d paid for it, so it was his.” Harry stared at the phone. “Okay, I remember mum’s phone number now.” He called it as Zayn went inside and found them a booth. A few minutes later, Harry ambled back in with Zayn’s phone, handing it to him.

“She said she’ll pay for a ticket if we can get me to the closest airport. And then she cried a lot. She never really liked me being with Simon. She probably wants to kill him now.” Now that they were sitting face to face, Zayn could see both how handsome and how tired Harry was. 

“I wouldn’t blame her, you’re her baby. I think my mum really would go after anyone who dared to something like that to me.” That got him a small smile. “What do you want to eat? It seems to be mostly beef barbeque. There’s some tamales.” 

“I’ll probably have a couple of those. And then sleep in your car until we get to an airport. I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t want to come home like this. I’ll have to go back to working in the bakery.”

“Thought you said you were a musician.” Zayn signaled the waitress and ordered for both of them, getting himself an open-face beef barbeque sandwich, and Harry a tamale plate. Harry watched the waitress go and looked back at Zayn.

“I am. But now I don’t have a band. We broke up-now I think it might’ve been Simon meddling. He told me he’d introduce me to people, get me a solo career. Which, honestly, I don’t even want, I’d rather be with a group, but try telling him that. Now I don’t have any connections, and I’m going to be back in Holmes Chapel, making brioche.”

“You can make brioche?” Harry nodded, smiling softly. “That’s brilliant mate. I’m going back to my job too. I take pictures and paint on the side. I do some singing too, but mostly just at crappy old bars. Nothing special.”

“Yeah, what kind of music?” They talked about music during lunch. Harry nibbled at his tamales, and Zayn finished off his sandwich quickly. After Zayn paid, he moved the car to gas up. Harry stayed by the door, talking to the waitress.

Zayn honked the horn when he was done and Harry came ambling back, waving at the waitress over his shoulder. “That’s Tess. She has three kids and a husband on disability,” Harry said. “I like her.” 

Zayn didn’t know what to say. He wouldn’t have thought to ask Tess about her life, and now he felt kind of like a jerk. “Hey,” he said instead. “Before we go, maybe I can take a picture of you with her.” Harry grinned as Zayn reached for his camera. 

They took a few shots, one of Harry alone in front of the sign painted on the side of the restaurant, and then a couple with Tess. She took surprisingly good pictures, she was pretty and had a gap between her teeth that made her look more interesting. 

After that, they got back in the car and Zayn tried to find the nearest airport. “So when we get there, your mum is just going to buy you a ticket?” Harry nodded, stretching his hands overhead.

“Yeah. I’m gonna kip out a bit. See you then.” Then Harry turned facing the window, and after a few minutes Zayn heard him snore.

The rest of the drive was pretty boring, but slowly Zayn started seeing more businesses and homes until they were in a spot that actually looked like a town, and then they were in a city. Zayn used his GPS to find the airport, and soon he was shaking Harry awake. “Harry, hey. Time to call your mum.” 

“Huh? Oh yeah, we’re here.” Harry grinned and Zayn felt himself grin back. Harry took Zayn’s phone, and talked to his mum. Zayn tried not to listen, but it was hard not to in the car. Eventually Harry said “Thanks mum. I love you. I’ll be home soon.” Harry put Zayn’s phone in one of the cupholders. “Mum says hey. I told her you helped me.” 

“It was no big deal. I couldn’t leave you alone out there.” Zayn was looking at the road and wasn’t expecting the hand that folded into his. “Oh,” he said, surprised, and Harry let go. “No, that’s okay.” 

“I’m sorry,” Harry said. “I should have warned you. It’s just…you’ve been so nice to me. I was so scared, having to hitchhike. You hear so many terrible things about America and crime, you know.” 

“I didn’t do anything special, and I’m glad I picked you up. It was so boring. And I got great pictures of you and Tess. I’d just been taking photos of buildings before then. And desert. So boring.” 

“Glad I shook things up a bit then,” Harry said, grinning at him. “There’s the airport.” 

“Yeah,” Zayn said, a little sad that he’d been letting this one go. “Did your mum tell you what airline you’d be on?” 

“Yes. And that she’d meet me when I got there. I’m sure I’m going to be hearing about how I never should have taken up with him for a while now.” 

Zayn reached out and touched Harry’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. You can start over now, clean slate.” He found a parking space in the airport parking lot, and turned the engine off. “Before you go, here.” He handed Harry some money. “For snacks and stuff on your way. And again, it was great meeting you.” 

Harry grinned at Zayn. “Thank you.” Then Harry had his arms around him and Zayn closed his eyes, rubbing Harry’s back. “Ow, sunburn.” Zayn pulled back, and Harry just shrugged. “It could be a lot worse. Oh, put my mum’s number in your phone. Call me when I get there, and I’m gonna start calling you when I get a new phone. We can be mates.” 

“I’d like that,” Zayn grinned. Harry was a pretty interesting guy, and sweet. 

“Maybe more than mates, some day,” Harry said, and it sounded wistful. Zayn didn’t think about it, he just leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of Harry’s mouth.

“Maybe,’ he agreed. “But first go home and get sorted. I’ll call you as soon as I hit California. And when I get back to England, I’ll come see you.” 

“All right,” Harry said. “Thanks for everything. I better go now.” Then Harry brushed his thumb over Zayn’s cheek, and then he was gone, the passenger door closing behind him. Zayn watched through the rearview mirror as Harry headed towards the airport. He sat in his car a few minutes before starting up and heading out. 

The rest of the way was pretty boring as well, but now Zayn had something to think about, and new pictures on his camera to remind him that his visit wasn’t so solitary after all. And when he stopped off that night in California, resting at a lodge off the freeway, he had a friend to call.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the 'hitchhiker au' prompt. It's also my first Zarry. Hope you liked it.


End file.
